The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-10
THOUGHTS OF PREACHERS
Why the Seventh-Day Adyentists OBJ
serve Saturday as Day of Rest.
Rev. Kean, the New Pastor of Roberts Park
Church. Outlines His Purposes as
Preacher-0ther Special Services.

their meeting. It seemed odd to outsider to
see their grocery tent open. and many matters
of business being transacted yesterday, when
on Saturday there was the most guarded absti-
hence from labor or business of any kind. The
Sabbath theory of this sect is one to which they
hold with the utmost tenacity. Their
reasons for it were set forth
in sermon preached yesterday
afternoon by Elder Farnsworth. of Iowa.
He chose for his text Exodus Xxx, to IL, and
said, II doubt not that many among my audience
are anxious to know why we keep Saturday, the
seventh day of a week, instead of Sunday, the
first day. kept by nearly all the rest of the
world. The Scripture 1 chose as my text is the
only Sabbath law to be found in all the Bible,
and this law not only gives rs Sabbath. but
tells which day is the Sabbath 1t forms a
part of and is put in the bosom of the Decalogue.
We have all been taught to revere it; our
mothers and fathers did so. and all the good Of
, former ages, except antinomians, have taught
that it ought to be obeyed. I must go further
and say that it has been always taught that one
could not be Christian and not keep
Gods law. Which commandment can be broken.
then, with impunityl No will deny that
the first three will be kept, and equally agreed
all as to the last six. Why, then, do you
except the fourthl All know that the seventh
day is Saturday, and not Sunday. Any almanac
will prove this to be so, and one can travel any
whore, and always will realize that the first day
OF the week is Sunday. The first reason why
we keep the seventh day is because they tell us
to do SO, and we have authority to sit
judges, changing the. day appointed by God to
suit our convenience, or to pander to popular
opinion. We want to be not only learners of
he k,,%A oa. th La Al, fnr 1o nj
believe in faith that is lacking in obedience,
and obedience we believe to be necessary to-
day as it ever was. Finnsy says that religion
means obedience aud is it not SOL What is
ligion but doing what God asks us to do? No
religion can be acceptable to God that lacks this
necessary element This part of the religion of
Jesus Christ ought to be enforced in this lawless
age. Many think that if they feel happy
and good it will not matter what they
may do. The good, old-fashioned
obedience to Gods will is fast disappearing and
giving place a sentimental religion; a relig-
ion OF love and goody-goody talk. but true love
to His will. What is love without obedencel
Why call me Lord, Lord, says our Savior, not
the hearers OF the word. but the doors shall be
justified. Why do you reverence the name Of
GodR You answer because the commandments
tell me to Go go. Well, we keep the seventh day
holy for the same reason. believing and knowing
tnat the fOurth commandment 10 Just as pera-
tive and binding any of the others. The fact
that the Bible says we must keep this day holy
ought to be sufficient authority for any one. the
best critics and scholars of TO-DAY now admit
that there is not particle Of evidence in the
Bible-this assertion may startle some of my
hearers, but it is truth-the Bible is utterly
silent to the alleged change, and that there Is
no divine authority for it. Pious people have be-
lieved there was. and taught it, but remember
that because one is pious is no safeguard against
the teaching Of error. We must not forget that
3 hAx ,0v11 ,v.1k aAf
the dark ages. 1t would be astonishi ng if the
reformers had found all the truth and that there
was no more to be discovered Luther did not
have it all, nor did Calvin, Wesley 9th ers
God increased the light time passed, step by
step, leading men out into broader light they
could receive aud appreciate it. 1t will be moth
ing strange IL there is more truth, more light
yet to dawn upon the world. Let as, my friends,
look carefully over the evidence we have for the
observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath"
The speaker then read extracts from the
Christian at Work. edited by Rev Henry j. Van
Dyke. d. D.. aud article from Rev. DR..
Parkhurst. copied and commented upon by Rev.
Lyman Abbott, in his paper, the Christian
Union. each admitting that there was no biblical
authority for Sunday observance, and that an
argument founded upon such an assertion was
not only weak but injurious, and after saying
he could multiply such evidence In
he continued: Ten years
ago almost every writer to be met
day from the seventh to the first day of the week,
but none of any respectabilty will risk their
tation by so doing now. You have been taught
that the seventh day is the Jewish Sabbath; 1t
is error TO cali it It is not a Jewish in
stitution. The Sabbath was made for man in
all ages. lSee Mark, i.2zl DIR. Alex. Camp
bell says that the Sabbath was made at
creation. was observed from that time to the
flood. onward to Sinai, and from then to the
present, in all ages. in all localities 1t is not
peculiar to tho Jews. 1t began at creation.
Sabbath. 1t was then created, blessed and sane
tilted, set apart for a holy purpose Here
the Sabbath was made for man, just as at the
same time the marriage relation was instituted
for his benefit. 1t might with equal lack OF
truth. be claimed that the marriage relation was
peculiarly Jewish, for they twin sisters.
coming to us from Eden.
I'VE hear considerable about the American
Sabbath and ministers and newspapers are
having good deal to say just now about pass
ing moro stringent laws to enforce its observ-
ance; but the Sabbath my friends, that you and
/ are called upon TO keep is not an American or
Jewish one. but the Sabbath of the Lord our
God, made in Eden, and which has existed from
that time to the present by Gods own appoint
meIt." The speaker then refuted the assertion
that the law was first given at Mount Sinai by
reading Exodus xvi. and showing that the Sab
bath, the fourth commandment, was an old In
stItuton in Israel and spoken of thirty days be-
fore they came TO Mount Sinai, proving conclu-
sively the existence of the commandments prior
to the delivery of them from the mount
Coming down to the gospel dispensation, he
said that if Christ changed the Sabbath to the
first day of the week. there must be some record
texts in the four gospels Mat xviii i; Mark
xvi. I, 2 8; Luke xiii, So Sc; xiv, l; John XXX,
l. 19) to show that authority existed in either
of the gospels. the texts read being all that men
toned the fret day of the week, the word Sun
day being heather name and not occurring in
the Bible. In regard to the meeting mentioned |
by John In xx, 10. he showed by verse 10 that it
occurred at the home Of the disciples. and they |
were eating their supper and had shut the doors |
for fear of the Jews That they had not met to |
,ele brate the resurrection is proved by the fact
that when Jesus appeared they were frightened, |
Him to be a spirit, aud that He up |
braided them for their unbelief MARX xvi. H. |
Had they believed in His resurrection, He would |
not have been obliged to reprove them. He |
sailed attention to the fact that all these texts
showed that day to be the Sabbath which imme-
diately preceded the first day OF the week, and |
that day is Saturday.
Reading Acts xx. he admitted that it was a |
religious meeting and that it occurred on Sun
lay, but remarked that it was the only record |
IF a religious meeting the first day of the |
weak mentionad In the New Testament You |